Roberta Emerson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Anne Giancola
Bothwell Arts Center
2466 8^th Street, Livermore, CA
925. 447-ARTS
agiancola@livermoreperformingarts.org

Or skenison@livermoreperformingarts.org
925.583.2301
California Dreamin’: Rain Dance on the Walls

LIVERMORE, CA – (August 25, 2015)

See it, soak it up, reveal in it.  The Bothwell Arts Center and Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center is pleased to announce the opening of Rain Dance, an art exhibition at the Bankhead Theater. This exhibit features six artists’ interpretation of everyone’s favorite California Dreamin’: water.

The art works range from abstract to representational and are executed in a variety of media. The artists featured are Jason Conn, Danielle Eubanks, Kerry McGehee, Linda Ryan, Julie Hayward Trout, and Bernard Weston.

The exhibit opens September 2 and is on display through November 2, 2015. The Bankhead Theater lobby will be open to the public starting onSeptember 5 on Tuesdays through Sundays, 12-6 p.m.

The Artists’ Reception is on Sunday, September 20  from 1–3 pm., and is free and open to the public.  Native American dancers from the Indian Education program at the American Indian Center will perform pow wow dancing at the reception.  This  visual feast for the eyes in art and dance creates an atmosphere of cool water and a celebration of dance and song in pleasing, natural acoustic beats. The perfect opportunity to bring in the Rain.

The Bankhead Theater is located at 2400 First Street in Livermore, CA. Call 925. 447-ARTS for more information about Rain Dance.

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The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center provides wide-ranging programs that give access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. LVPAC Presents offers a diverse variety of exceptional music, dance and theatrical performances at the Bankhead Theater each year. The Bankhead Theater and the Bothwell Arts Center are home to nine resident performing arts companies and over 40 studio artists and cultural arts instructors. Between them, they have offered more than 500 public activities each year, from classes and workshops, to concerts, festivals and performances, as well as ArtWalk and extensive educational arts outreach. A list of upcoming performances at the Bankhead Theater, as well as activities at the Bothwell Arts Center, is available online at livermoreperformingarts.org

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Mueller
Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center
925-583-2306
nmueller@livermoreperformingarts.org

“Girl’s Night: The Musical” Celebrates Love, Life and Friendship
in a Night of Music and Laughter at the Bankhead Theater

LIVERMORE, CA – (June 22, 2015) – A musical comedy that has entertained audiences across the country, “Girl’s Night: The Musical” delivers a hilarious tell-it-like-it-is view of friendship, woven together with irresistible classic songs such as It’s Raining Men and Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Crafted by British writer Louise Roche, “Girl’s Night: The Musical” reached cult status in England before landing in the United States. The lively show follows the stories of five girlfriends out for a wild and crazy karaoke night as they celebrate the endurance of their friendship through the years. “Girl’s Night: The Musical” will run for four performances at the Bankhead Theater from Thursday, July 9, through Saturday, July 11, 2015.

Described as “Desperate Housewives meets Mamma Mia!” the five women of “Girl’s Night: The Musical” share a touching and comical look at the complexities of love and life: outrageous Carol, blunt Anita, unsatisfied Liza, boring and designated driver Kate, and sassy Sharon, the not-so-angelic angel who just couldn’t resist tagging along. This close-knit group of thirty and forty-something gals are the kind of friends everyone recognizes. Their stories and familiar songs, from the wistful At Seventeen and reflective The Love of My Man, to a show-stopping anthem of women’s resilience, I Will Survive, deliver a night of infectious energy and spontaneous laughter.

Playwright Louise Roche is co-director of Goodnights Entertainment, a professional theater company in Milton Keynes, England, and is a former television researcher, writer and producer. She has written five plays in addition to “Girl’s Night: A Musical” and her book “Glutton for Punishment” was published 1984. Roche says her inspiration for the play was a girl’s night out with her own friends when her children were all under the age of five. After staging it in a small theater that sold out for the entire run, Roche moved the show to a larger venue and, in 2007, “Girls Night: The Musical” crossed the ocean to open in Scottsdale, Arizona. It has been a box office success ever since, selling out venues from coast to coast.

Four performances of “Girl’s Night: The Musical” will be offered at the Bankhead Theater: Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 10 at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $69 or $52 for adults. Student tickets are available for $16 each.

“Girl’s Night: The Musical” follows last summer’s popular multi-night run of “Menopause the Musical” at the Bankhead Theater. Comedy shows are an integral part of the entertainment offered each year by LVPAC Presents, along with music of nearly all genres, dance and other performing arts. The 2015-2016 season includes a night of non-stop stand-up as part of the 40th Annual San Francisco Comedy Competition, “Broadway’s Next HIT Musical,” an impromptu and unique musical comedy created on stage directly from audience input, and Broadway’s longest running solo play, “Defending the Caveman.” In addition, the Bankhead will welcome the return of the inimitable Paula Poundstone, legendary Chicago-based The Second City, and The Capitol Steps, with a taste of political satire in an election year.

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The Bankhead Theater, located at 2400 First Street in Downtown Livermore, is home to the LVPAC Presents series as well as performances by resident companies and touring performing arts groups. Rotating art exhibitions are also presented in the lobby and Founder’s Room throughout the year. The ticket office is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. On performance days the ticket office is open from two hours before to 30 minutes after the scheduled start of each show. To purchase tickets call 925-373-6800 or visit www.bankheadtheater.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Mueller
Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center
925-583-2306
nmueller@livermoreperformingarts.org

Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center to Collaborate with Del Valle High School Culinary Arts Program for Concessions at the Bankhead Theater

LIVERMORE, CA – (April 27, 2015) – The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center (LVPAC) announced that it will collaborate with the Del Valle High School Culinary Academy to provide specialty food items for performances and events at the Bankhead Theater. The agreement, which is effective immediately, will have the Del Valle Culinary Arts Program providing a range of items from baked goods, such as scones, cookies, cheesecakes and tarts, to cheese platters, fresh fruit cups, specialty nuts and caramel corn. The items will be delivered once per week and offered in the VIP room, as well as sold in the concessions area of the theater before shows and at intermission.

“The collaboration is a win-win project for both Del Valle and LVPAC and we’re excited to put it into motion,” said Scott Kenison, executive director at LVPAC. “It’s a wonderful example of how LVPAC and the Bankhead Theater can play a role in strengthening our community.” Culinary Arts students will not only be able to advance their culinary skills as they prepare the food items in the catering kitchen at Livermore High, they will have an invaluable opportunity to learn about the business of catering and concessions. Students will take part in planning for quantity cooking, and manage customer service, packaging, presentation, marketing and delivery of their finished product. In addition, the program is a fundraising opportunity that provides resources to support all the classes in the Culinary Arts program.

Dianne Russell, culinary arts instructor at Del Valle Continuation High School, is very enthusiastic about the many ways this specialty foods concessions program fits into the school’s overall goals. “The program is an excellent opportunity for students to put skills they have learned in class into action,” said Russell. Working with the Bankhead will also give students a chance to provide a service and give back to their community. As the relationship between LVPAC and Del Valle expands over time, Russell hopes it may be possible to have students placed into internships at LVPAC to learn more about the theater and its concessions program. “All these aspects ultimately support Del Valle High School’s goal: to help students graduate with the skills needed to contribute and thrive in a changing world and give them a positive experience with a sense of accomplishment and pride,” Russell added.

In addition to enhancing the culinary arts program for Del Valle students, LVPAC will benefit by being able to reduce its costs, while offering Bankhead patrons a wider selection of high-quality food products. “Everything will be made locally, not mass manufactured, so the products will not only be fresher, they can be more unique,” said Arthur Barinque, Concessions Manager at LVPAC. According to Barinque, the specialty food concessions program is already in effect with the first deliveries being made this week for performances this weekend. The full transition will be done over time with the goal of having Del Valle Culinary Arts foods available at all events at the Bankhead Theater when the 2015-2016 season begins in September. As the venue approaches its ninth season, other concessions-related changes are also underway. In addition to local wineries, now local breweries and distilleries, including Eight Bridges Brewing, Altamont Beer Works, Working Man Brewing and Sutherland Distilling Company, will be represented in the beverage selection at the Bankhead and drinks from the concession counter may be brought into the theater during events.

Del Valle Continuation High School, located near downtown Livermore, serves more than 150 students within the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. The school offers an individualized and supportive small-learning environment focused on providing graduates with the skills needed to contribute and thrive in a changing world. In addition to core curriculum classes, electives are offered in art, digital photography, physical education, computer applications, and culinary arts. The Del Valle Culinary Academy was launched in the 2013-2014 school year.

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The Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center provides wide-ranging programs that give access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. LVPAC Presents offers a diverse variety of exceptional music, dance and theatrical performances at the Bankhead Theater each year. The Bankhead Theater and the Bothwell Arts Center are home to nine resident performing arts companies and over 40 studio artists and cultural arts instructors. Between them, they have offered more than 500 public activities each year, from classes and workshops, to concerts, festivals and performances, as well as ArtWalk and extensive educational arts outreach. A list of upcoming performances at the Bankhead Theater, as well as activities at the Bothwell Arts Center, is available online at livermoreperformingarts.org.